It is always a treat when our dear friend Brian invites us to his family cabin on Denman Island off Vancouver Island. It’s a two ferry ride trip but it is worth the time when we see the gorgeous view emerge as we get closer to shore, and feel the sense of tranquility surrounding the island.
Today, I’d like to jot down some food ideas for lazy summer days in a cabin or such. Preparing the right food to pack can make a trip much more enjoyable, especially when you go into a remote place. Little things like tucking away a jar of cane sugar, homemade sauce and pre-cut fresh vegetables in a cooler will help a great deal.
I have found that living with foodie friends for a few days is always an eye opening experience, and always helps me better develop my palate. Last week when we were there, we ate great food, chugged a lot of gin and tonics with a refreshing twist of limoncello, walked, photographed, ate some more, visited a farm, breathed the freshest possible air, and ate again till late.
Here are some of the delicious food we devoured:
Freshly picked snap peas and turnips served with goma ae vinegar sauce.
Tapas platter of organic turkey salami, prosciutto, pickled tomato and mixed olives from Whole Foods.
Raincoast crisps and St. Benoit Ermite blue cheese.
Crab cakes served with pepper jelly, and fresh shrimp from a local fishmonger in Buckley Bay.
Homemade pizza Margherita and a big bowl of green salad from my garden.
A slice of buttermilk pound cake served with freshly picked local strawberries, vanilla ice cream and a glass of Grand Marnier.
Cheese & dill scones, soda bread and Italian bread from Savary Island Pie Company.
French toast made with Italian bread served with make-do Grand Marnier orange syrup (with this, one can almost do without maple syrup!) and organic pork sausage on the side.
Grilled asparagus.
Slightly overcooked roasted sirloin tips and roasted vegetables in tomato sauce served with a loaf of the soda bread.
Homemade rhubarb bars and a bowl of fresh fruit with a big dab of mocha yogurt.
All of the above food we managed to eat in only three days!
If you are still reading this, you may be wondering what else happened. I don’t have a satisfactory answer, since everything else seems to have faded into fuzzy memories thanks to my indulgence in more than one warm glass of Grand Marnier.